The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Lakshmi Tatma making progress

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Saturday, Nov 10, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Lakshmi Tatma making progress

Staff Reporter

The critical period is not yet over, says surgeon

Bangalore: The “eight-limbed” girl from Bihar, Lakshmi Tatma, who was operated upon by doctors to separate her from her parasitic conjoined twin, has regained consciousness and is making steady progress but still needs to be under observation.

Sharan Patil, the orthopaedic surgeon who led a team of doctors to perform a 27-hour surgery on Lakshmi which ended on Wednesday, told presspersons here on Friday that the two-year-old had been taken off the ventilator. “We took her off the ventilator this morning and her condition seems to be stable. She is responding well to treatment,” he said.

He, however, added that the critical period was not yet over and it could not be estimated how long it will take for her to recover fully. It could not be said when she would gain total use of her legs.

She is still in the Intensive Care Unit and will have to remain there for a few more hours.

Lakshmi’s parents visited her in the ICU and spent around 15 minutes with her on Friday morning. They visited her again at around 4 p.m.

“She responded when her name was called and has been moving her eyes around. She also managed to move her fingers and toes. She even smiled at her mother and when they were leaving the ward she started crying,” Dr. Patil said.

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